Copyright (c) 2006 Todd Harris

So you want to get into the video game industry simply? Well, there are ways to do that. Every day people are asking the simple question, "How do I break into the video game industry?" Sometimes that's where the questions stop and sometimes they keep going with, "How do I get an interview?" "What kinds of companies should I look for?" "Is my dream possible?"

Well, let's back-up a little and talk about the number one word when it comes to video games. Passion. Yep, that's it. Do you have passion and love for video games? It's as simple as that. If you said yes to that answer, then you can break into the video game industry. It all follows that one word. Why passion? Because I am a true believer that where your hear lies, so does your treasure.

Okay, so you've determined that you have the passion, now what? Well, you need some skills that qualify you for the position you are seeking. I am going to focus this article on the art side since I am a concept artist, but it does apply to all aspects of the game industry. Knowledge is the next step to getting your winning career in video games. Knowledge or skills in the area that you are trying to break into can be acquired when you have the passion to learn them. But, once again, let's take another step back and look at the game industry.

The game industry is constantly changing, and this is great for people wishing to get a start in video games. As technology evolves and the industry evolves, new positions are popping up, salaries are increasing and games are exploding into the marketplace like never before. There's ample room for the taking. You'll want to keep up with industry trends as you look for your area of expertise or knowledge that you can bring to the industry.

So now you have passion and skills, what do you do with them to acquire your lucrative career? You use hard work and get past the gatekeepers. What do I mean by that? Gatekeepers are anyone standing in the way of you and your dreams. They are everywhere! Gatekeepers can be one secretary not making it easy for you to get an interview. Or a gatekeeper could be a company head not wanting you to advance for one reason or another. You can have a personal gatekeeper, yourself, that tells yourself you can't do it, you are a quitter, etc. They are all over. But here's a secret. There's one thing that can take over any gatekeeper you may come along. Hard work and determination.

Is it really as easy as hard work and determination? Yes, and hard work and easy can be in the same sentence. Let me tell you how. It's easy to work hard when it's your passion. That's why I said passion needs to be the qualifier to whether you should be in the video game industry. With it, you can have whatever you want from it. Without passion, you'll be lucky to get anything from the video game industry.

So how do we get past the gatekeepers with hard work? The old adage, "when there's a will there's a way" comes into play. Let's take the gatekeeper at a company. There's a particular secretary at a developer you are trying to get a job with, yet she won't connect you with any department heads.

Hard work and determination will pay by doing research on the company first. Find out if this developer is making the kinds of games you want to make. Are they hiring right now? If so, how do they want to see your portfolio? Find out any contacts they may have that is not the secretary. Go to their personal website and see if there are any names that deal with hiring directly. Fire them an email. Do you see my point? It's about perseverance and hard work.

You'll be able to get any job you want in the video game industry with these 3 principles. I know it sounds too good to be true but go ahead and prove me right.